From That Day I Knew I Loved Her
by dragonriderhp
Summary: ONESHOT Short LJ Fluff Fic. The moment James finally realized that he loved Lily. Not as sucky as the summary says. R & R!


**Title:** From That Day I Knew I Loved Her

**Author:** dragonriderhp

**Summary:** ONE-SHOT Short L/J Fluff Fic. The moment James finally realized that he loved Lily. Not as sucky as the summary says. R & R!

**A/N:** Ok, I have no idea where this came from, but I had to write it. It might be bad, but oh well. Please Review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.

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_From That Day I Knew I Loved Her_

The sweltering sun once again beat down on my back as I headed up to the castle from the Quidditch pitch. My best mate, Sirius Black, strode next to me with his broom and mine over his shoulders. That's because at the current moment I was laying face down on a stretcher.

The rest of the Gryffindor team was walking behind me, thinking quietly.

My best girlfriend – no, that came out entirely wrong! My best friend, that's a girl…like a gal-friend…yeah. She was levitating the stretcher that I was laying on.

Her name is Nicole – Cole – Brooks. I've known her since my first year at Hogwarts.

Truthfully, she's hot. Her skin is golden tan and she has really silky brown hair and big, dark blue eyes. But after 4th year (I'm in 7th now)…"us" would never happen again.

_- - - - Flashback - - - - _

It was the night of the Christmas Ball. I was wearing black dress robes, and my girlfriend, Cole, had on a shiny green dress. It looked like a tube top that had halter-straps attached to it, and a flare skirt.

We had been dancing the whole night, and after we went to the patio to cool down.

I smiled down at Cole as she looked out over the grounds. She was really down-to-earth…a lot like Lily.

_Ahhh,_ I thought.

Wait, no! You have a girlfriend! No sighing when you think of her best friend!

Shaking Lily out of my mind, I grabbed Cole's hand and she turned towards me.

"James, will you kiss me?" she asked.

I grinned and didn't say anything, but leaned into her lips.

We kissed for a while, until we suddenly heard a voice shout –

"POTTER!"

I pulled away from Cole and turned. Surprisingly, there was Lily Evans.

She had on a long silver dress that hugged her curves and had an open back. Her straight, long red hair was pulled into a bun with lots of loose strands.

Groaning, I brought my hand up to my hair and rumpled it. Lily rolled her eyes and stomped towards us, her heels clicking on the stone floor.

"Potter," she growled when she reached us.

"Can I help you, Evans?" I replied cooly.

"Sorry, but I can't let you hang out with my best friend!" Lily said.

I guffawed. "Excuse me?"

But my voice wasn't the only one. I turned a little to my right and saw Cole _glaring_ at Lily, her hands on her hips.

"Cole! If you hang out with him, you'll just become one of them. Think of how horrible that would be. You don't even like the Marauders! And you know that Potter will just cheat on you – you're just a fling. You can't let yourself get hurt, because then I'd have to pick up the pieces!" Lily stammered.

Cole's eyes filled with hurt. "What's that supposed to mean?" she said quietly, but menacingly.

Lily realized what she said and looked down. After a moment she looked up again. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Cole cringed gently but shook her head. "I know what I'm doing," she told her. But she stepped to her friend and hugged her. "But thanks."

Lily smiled grimly and then stepped towards me. "You're going to pay for this Potter."

Still, later that night, Cole broke up with me. I was ok, because there was a cute blond Ravenclaw I had spotted earlier.

_- - - - End Flashback - - - - _

After that day, we just realized we were better being friends. Besides, the key reason was –

Lily.

For some reason I was crazy about her. The way she walked, the way she always got a new haircut over the summer (this year it was slightly long with a lot of layers and some light bangs on the sides), the way she smiled –truly, smiled– , the way she laughed, even the way she said my name.

It just rolled off her tongue in the most delectable way!

"James, I can't believe you didn't see that bludger!" Cole said from behind me. I laughed weakly, showing her I was still conscious.

Truthfully, I had been thinking about Lily when the bludger hit my shoulder.

I was thinking of the time she had told her friend (and the invisible audience of the Marauders) that she thought I was good looking. I had immediately fallen backwards and dragged the rest of us down with me, instantly revealing us. Lily had growled "Potter" and stalked off. In my "memory" I had been watching her walk away, but then she turned around and started running towards me…but then she became blacker and rounder.

When I heard everyone shout "JAMES" (except Lily, she said Potter) I turned to the left slightly and the bludger only hit my shoulder.

Despite the pain at that moment, that shoulder had done great things to me!

_- - - - Flashback - - - - _

I anxiously scribbled more writing onto the parchment as the bell began to ring.

"Bollocks!" I muttered. I only had five minutes to finish my essay and then get to Divination – all the way on the other side of the tower. I began to hit my head against the table but stopped suddenly.

There was a hand on my shoulder.

An incredibly gentle, delicate, soft hand.

And I only knew one person who had a hand like that.

"Lily?" I inquired, turning around.

Yep. It was Lily. She stood behind me with a pitying look on her face and her hand – her HAND – on my shoulder.

"Potter?" she said softly.

I cleared my throat. "Can I help you?"

She chuckled. "What are you doing?"

"My Divination essay," I grumbled quietly.

Lily pulled a chair out and sat next to me. "You really want to do well in school, don't you?"

I turned my head, shocked. Lily seemed actually concerned!

"Well, yeah…I want to be an Auror," I said quickly.

I just told her THAT? I haven't even told Sirius that! Wow, I must _really_ like her.

"You'd be good at it," she said.

Back up!

Ok, she definitely just said I'd be a good Auror.

"Who spiked your drink?" I said, dumbfounded.

Lily laughed (Merlin, do I love her laugh…) and shook her head.

"I'm serious!" she said.

I opened my mouth –

"Close it!"

I grinned but shut it.

"Come here, I'll help you," Lily said, dragging my essay forward.

I was so tempted to slap myself, just to make sure it wasn't a dream. But it wasn't. She actually fixed my essay and helped me finish. I had to pay her back somehow…

"Come on!" I said, jumping up. We began to run towards Divination.

"We won't make it on time!" Lily said. Suddenly I grabbed her hand and dragged her through the supposedly sudden wall. I had led her to that short-cut on purpose – it led us straight to the Divination tower.

We scrambled through the trapdoor and flung ourselves into the nearest chintz. Moments later the professor walked through the door. We of course earned some weird looks because we were sitting together. Once he assigned us our partners, we split up.

I began to turn towards the Ravenclaw, Bally Robins, when a voice called my name.

"Potter!"

I turned around. Lily was standing awkwardly in front of me.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Thanks…for helping me get here."

"It's nothing. I owed you anyway…thanks for fixing my essay. And listening to me."

"Anytime, Potter. Really."

_- - - - End Flashback - - - - _

Regardless of that promise, she still turned me down when I would ask her out. But I could at least talk to her.

I looked around and realized we were almost to the Hospital Wing.

There was a time I was in the Wing with Lily...that was interesting!

_- - - - Flashback - - - - _

I stretched and sat up in bed, looking around. Earlier that day I had been hexed by a Slytherin – pink elephant ears had been flapping around my head annoyingly as I was transported to the Hospital Wing.

But I wasn't the only one hit.

As soon as the kid, Josh Radding, had opened his mouth to utter the curse, Lily had amazingly leaped in front of me. However, since she was slightly shorter, most of the curse had hit me. Still, it was the thought that counted. The hex had skimmed the top of her head, leaving her with two mini-ears wobbling weakly by her temples.

I looked over to my right and saw Lily (ear free) sitting up in her bed. She was looking out the window.

"Hey," I said quietly. She turned to me.

"Hey," she replied.

"The ears are gone," I said.

Real pathetic, I know. I'm finally alone with the girl of my dreams and all I can say is "the ears are gone". I'm brilliant, aren't I?

"Yeah," she said, nodding.

After a moment of awkward silence, I said.

"Good thing, too, because they clashed horribly with your hair," I said, lying straight through my teeth. Nothing that had to do with Lily clashed. She was perfect.

Lily laughed and rolled her eyes. "It didn't look much better on your head, Potter. Although they were proportionate with your ego…" Lily placed her thumb and finger on her chin in mock thought.

I laughed and threw a pillow at her. She caught it and tossed it back at me.

I sighed and looked around the wing. Then I caught sight of a table with a bunch of potions on it.

"Hey, what are those?" i inquired as I began getting out of bed.

Lily looked at them warily. "I don't know, and I don't want to!"

"Oh come on, they can't be that bad! They're in a hospital wing for the love of Merlin!" I retorted, glancing at her.

She was getting out of bed.

She was following him!

That had to be love!

I leaned down and peered at the labels on the bottles.

"Hair color – blue," I said aloud, reading the labe.

"What?" Lily exclaimed.

I laughed and held up the blue bottle. "It's hair dye!"

Lily burst out laughing. "What on earth is it doing here?"

I shrugged. But, then something dawned on me. I looked at the bottle, then at Lily, then back at the bottle, and then back at Lily.

"What are you thinking at, Potter?" she said warily.

"One of us," I looked pointedly at Lily (there is no way I'm coloring my beautiful hair!), "Should dye our hair with this and see what Madam Pomfrey says!"

Lily backed away. "Oh no, I am not!"

Oh yes you are!

I dove after Lily, bottle in hand. I pinned her arms to her side, then took the bottle and poured it over her head – only to be surprised by the gas falling out of it and clouding Lily's head.

"POTTER WHAT IS GOING ON?" Lily shrieked.

I anxiously ran a hand through my hair.

"I don't know!" I said nervously. Just then the gas cleared and I was left staring at Lily with bright blue hair.

"Oh, bugger," I muttered.

"Potter," Lily said, slowly but menacingly, "What just happened?"

"Well, your hair is sorta...blue," I finished lamely.

"Oh dear!" she said, clutching her hair.

"Don't worry, it isn't permanent!" I said, seeing the line on the label.

Lily sighed, but still advanced on me.

"Potter, you have no idea how lucky you are!"

"You're right! How lucky?" I said meekly, looking down at Lily.

"Let's just say that one of us would be leaving here castrated," Lily said, smirking.

I gulped.

Lily was about to say something when we both heard footsteps from the hallway.

"Pomfrey!" we said together.

In a hurry, we both rushed over to our respected beds and slid in, pulling the covers over our heads. The door creaked open and the sound of footsteps clicked over the floor. The shoes passed their beds until suddenly –

"POTTER! EVANS! WHAT WERE YOU DOING WITH MY HAIR DYE?" Madam Pomfrey shouted.

Lily and I looked nervously at each other before sitting up in the beds.

Madam Pomfrey looked from Lily to me and back to Lily.

"It would be good to know why you have invaded my private potions and then used them on a student! However, I really do not want to know, so, just be sure not to do it again. Am I clear?" the nurse asked, looking sternly at us.

Suppressing laughter, we nodded. Madam Pomfrey nodded curtly and strode into her office.

As soon as she left, we burst into quiet fits of laughter.

"Never again, Potter. Never again!"

_- - - - End Flashback - - - - _

I smiled at the memory. Over the past years, Lily seemed to have been warming up to me. Yes, I admit, I had a head as big as Dumbledore's beard is long; but I have gotten so much better! Anyone would tell you that.

Except…maybe not Sirius.

We're the best of friends, yet he still is convinced he must bother me at all times.

Lovely, isn't he?

I jumped in surprise as we pushed through the Hospital Wing doors. They're actually very heavy and hurt when you crash into them.

I groaned and attempted to sit up. But that would involve using my elbows, which are attached to my shoulders…never mind.

"James, we're here!" I heard my tiny seeker say. Her name is Lucy Sterling, and she's really sweet. She's also an excellent Seeker for the team.

I nodded my head meekly.

Finally I stopped moving and I heard people walking towards me.

Madam Pomfrey muttered a spell and the pain in my shoulder numbed. She and Cole then helped me sit up and lowered me onto a bed.

Finally, I can see everything!

Sirius, Lucy, Cole, and the rest of the team were pulling up chairs around the bed. Madam Pomfrey was hurrying over with a tray of potions in her hand.

"You really need to pay more attention Potter! Not only does your health count on it, but so does your House!" she said as she fed me some potions.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "The swelling on your shoulder is deflating like a balloon!"

I have no idea how he passes our classes.

The team laughed and Madam Pomfrey waved her wand, ignoring Sirius. Bandages appeared around my shoulder and began to wrap themselves tightly around it.

Suddenly the doors burst open and somebody shouted.

"JAMES!"

I snapped my neck towards the door, wondering who on Earth would be shouting my name and running towards me.

It was Lily.

Merlin, I'm going to faint!

It's LILY!

Oh dear.

"James!" she cried out again, running closer. Once Lily reached my bed, she pushed through the chairs of the team and flew to the ground next to me, kneeling.

"James," she murmured.

Oh my, she's said my name three times! My "James" name! MY NAME!

Lily reached up a hand and brushed some of my hair out of my face.

If I could talk right now, (which for some reason I can't), I would be singing. Singing gospel!

"Are you okay?" she asked me.

Even if I could talk, now that I think about it, I'd be too much in shock to answer her.

"James, are you okay?" she asked again, more anxiously this time.

I attempted to nod. It didn't work.

"James, please say something!" Lily said, her eyes full of worry.

She's worried about me!

Suddenly, I opened my mouth and said something.

"Hi, Lily."

I sighed in relief. Life is good.

"Oh, James. I was so worried! You seemed so hurt, and I couldn't do anything about it!" Lily said, resting her head on my chest.

Oh my!

It seemed like it took that long for Lily to realize what she was doing.

Not for me to realize something, though.

Lily blushed scarlet and straightened up, standing. She cleared her throat and looked nervously at the Quidditch team.

"I'm just glad you're going to be ok," she told me quietly. I grinned goofily, feeling giddy. And I don't think it was from the potions.

"I'll be back later, James," Lily said, and then turned towards the Wing's doors.

As I watched her retreating form, I knew three things.

Lily had just said my name – my "James" name! – seven times.

The feeling I had right now had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with what the nurse had been giving me.

And finally, this had been the deciding moment. I knew it was true.

From this day on, I knew that I loved Lily Evans.

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**A/N:** Yay! I finally finished another one-shot. I want you all to know that I'm not giving up on my other stories, but it has been really difficult to write recently. I'm trying to get a lot finished so I will be able to update sooner together. Thanks for your patience! I really hope you haven't lost faith in me, because I'm honestly trying exceptionally hard to write, but a lot has been going on. So finally, please, please, PLEASE **R E V I E W** and tell me what you think! I live on your feedback and support! Thanks!


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